Dental equipment



Nov. 16, 1965 J. R. PASCENTE DENTAL EQUIPMENT Filed Aug. 31, 1962 INVENTOR. c/ames ,8 Paacen/e doc,

mm flw/ A TTORNE YS United States Patent 3,217,412 DENTAL EQUIPMENT James R. Pascente, 1506 S. 58th Court, Cicero, Ill. Filed Aug. 31, 1962, Ser. No. 220,786

4 Claims. (Cl. 3222) This invention relates to equipment stands for supporting dental, medical and like equipment adjacent a patienttreating area, and is more particularly directed to an auxiliary equipment unit or stand and to hoses or cords housed in the unit and mounted at one end to the pivot table arm of a primary equipment stand.

Heretofore, difiiculty has been encountered in the design of dental equipment stands employing hoses or cords for supplying pneumatic or hydraulic fluid or current to hand instruments coupled to the hoses. For example, the hoses or cords would hang downwardly from the stand presenting a hazard of tripping to both doctor and patient. With the advent of better instruments and an increase in the number of instruments available for use in treatment of patients, this hazard has increased multifold. In addition, with use only of existing hose and cord connections on available equipment stands, the increase in the number of hand instruments now available for use will increase the number of operations required to be performed by the dentist to couple and uncouple various instruments from the hose or cord during the course of treatment of the patient, thereby reducing the efficiency of the dentist. Modification of existing equipment stands to increase the number of hose connections available is quite expensive and the savings in time of treatment of the patient does not appear to justify the expense of such modifications. Employment of existing auxilairy cabinet units or stands to provide extra hose or cord connections will reduce the area available for the dentist in which to treat the patient reposed in the dentist chair. If the auxiliary equipment stand is situated outside of the patient treatment area, the dentist is temporarily required to interrupt treatment of the patient to walk to the auxiliary equipment stand and obtain an instrument from the stand for use in treatment of the patient. After use of the instrument, the dentist will again be required to interrupt treatment of the patient in order to return the hose to the auxiliary equipment stand.

With the present invention, the problems and difficulties of the prior art are substantially overcome by the provision of an auxiliary equipment stand situated in a location which is remote from the patient-treatment area and which houses hoses, cords, or both, biased into the stand and a manifold device mounted on the pivot arm of the dental table which is carried by the primary equipment stand and through which the ends of the hoses or cords extend for coupling to hand instruments which hold the coupled ends of the hoses or cords to the manifold device.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide new and improved dental equipment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved dental equipment including hose and cord apparatus which does not present a tripping hazard.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved dental equipment including hose and cord apparatus which is movable into and from a patient-treating area without presenting a tripping hazard.

A further object of the present invention is to provide new and improved dental equipment including hose and cord apparatus housed in an auxiliary equipment stand situated in a location remote from the patient-treatment area and which houses hoses and cords and carries the ends thereof adjacent the patient-treatment area so that hand instruments carried at the ends of the hoses and cords are readily accessible for use by the dentist.

3,217,412 Patented Nov. 16, 1965 A still further object of the present invention is to provide dental equipment including an auxiliary utility cabinet or stand for fluid or electrically operated instruments which can be located in a position remote from the patient-treatment area and which includes means to bias the hose or cord into the cabinet unit, and in which the instrument-carrying end of the hose or cord is mounted on the pivot tray arm of a primary equipment stand where it is readily accessible for use by the dentist.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent from a careful consideration of the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention, wherein like reference numerals and characters refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view in elevation of the auxiliary cabinet unit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the unit of FIG. 2 in partial section and broken away to facilitate illustration; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view in partial section of the manifold unit mounted on the tray arm of the apparatus of FIG. 1.

Although the present invention has a variety of applications, a suitable embodiment thereof appears in FIG. 1 and comprises an auxiliary equipment cabinet unit or stand, generally indicated by the numeral 5, and the tray or table arm 9 of a primary dental equipment pedestal unit 7 pivoted thereto for movement in a horizontal plane and on which is mounted a manifold device 41. The primary equipment pedestal unit 7, tray arm 9 and the tray or table 11 carried thereby are standard conventional equipment found in all dentist oflices.

The auxiliary cabinet unit 5 is a rectangular box-like unit and has located in the front wall near the upper end thereof a projecting offset portion 13, such as the offset portion shown in Hanberg U.S. Patent No. 1,502,247 or which may be a pivoted door closure (not shown) such as the closure disclosed in Pieper U.S. Patent No. 2,214,774.

As appears in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the offset portion 13 is provided with a top plate 15 which has a plurality of spaced hose guide apertures or sockets 17 in each of which is slidably disposed a pneumatic or hydraulic hose or cord 19, such as those hoses or cords generally used by dentists for hot air syringes, mouth lamps, cold water syringes and the like. For convenience the hose or cord 19 will hereinafter be referred to as a hose.

The hoses or cords 19 are biased into the chamber 22 (FIG. 3) of the cabinet unit 5 by conventional means, such as the pulley arrangement appearing in the abovementioned Pieper patent, or, as appears in FIG. 3, by a pulley arrangement wherein a rod 23 is supported vertically in the housing 22 and is provided with a vertically extending C track 25. Rollers or guide members (not shown) are carried by a bar 27 in the C track for movement of the bar 27 vertically along the rod 23. The bar 27 has mounted thereto for rotation a peripherally grooved pulley wheel 29 around which the hose 19 is looped. It will be appreciated that an arrangement of a rod 23, a bar 27 and pulley wheel 29 is provided for each of the hoses 19, four such hoses being illustrated in the drawing.

One end 31 of the hose is fixedly connected in the cabinet chamber 22. The rod 23 carries a fixed transverse spacer member 33 which, at each end thereof, carries a bored guide 35 through which the hose extends for guiding movement of the hose 19.

In operation of the pulley arrangement, the dentist pulls the instrument-carrying end 37 of the hose outwardly from the cabinet unit 5 which causes vertically upward movement of the pulley wheel 29 and the bar 27, from the position shown in FIG. 3, with the rollers or guides (not shown) of the bar 27 riding in the C track of the rod 23. The movement of the hose 19 causes rotation of the pulley wheel 29 to guide the hose 19 during movement thereof. Upon release of the hose by the dentist, the weight of the pulley wheel 29 will cause downward movement of the bar 27, thereby returning the bar 27 to its initial position and the hose 19 into the cabinet as shown in FIG. 3. Stop means (not shown) are provided to limit the extent of movement of the bar 27.

Carried by the pivotal tray arm 9 is a box-like manifold device 41 provided for carrying the instrument connecting ends 37 of the hoses 19. With the instrument ends of the hose carried by the manifold device 41, the tray arm may be pivoted to its normal position for use by the dentist in which position the instruments will be readily accessible for use by the dentist in the patient treatment area. Moreover, the portions of the hose extended between the offset portion 13 of the auxiliary cabinet 5 and the manifold device 41 will not dangle when the tray arm 9 is pivotally moved from one position to another nor when the tray 11 is maintained in a predetermined position. Thus, the utility cabinet 5 may be located in a position remote from the patient-treating area of the dentist while the instrument ends of the hoses are accessibly located in such area for ready use by the dentist.

The box-like manifold device 41 has an open bottom and an open top end. Closing the top end of the device 41 is a plate 43 which is fitted into the device and secured thereto as by screws (not shown). Similarly, the bottom end of the device 41 is closed by a plate 45 fitted into the device and secured thereto, as by screws (not shown).

The plates 43 and 45 are provided with axially aligned apertures 47 and the upper plate 43 is provided with a plurality of slotted socket sleeves 49. As illustrated in the drawing, each of the plates 43 and 45 is provided with four such apertures 47, and a hose 19 is slidably disposed in each of the apertures 47. The hoses extend through the apertures formed in the bottom plate 45 and then through the apertures formed in the top plate 43. The instrument hand-pieces shown in FIG. 1, are identified by the numeral 51 and may be any of the conventional hand-pieces well known in the profession. The instruments 51 are connected by conventional coupling means to the ends 37 of the hoses 19. The hand-pieces 51 serve as a stop means to prevent the hose 19 from being pulled through the manifold device 41 and into the housing 22 or" the auxiliary unit 5.

In use, the dentist grasps the hand-piece 51 and pulls the hose outwardly from the manifold device 41 against the bias of the weight of the pulley wheel 29. If desired, the dentist may maintain the hose in this extended use position by fitting a portion of the hose 19 in a key slot 53 (FIGS. 1 and 4) formed in the socket 47 and in the device 41 or the hose may be releasably held in such extended use position in a clip 55 of conventional construction mounted to a bracket 57 which is secured as by screws 59 to the rear wall 61 of the device 41.

The bracket 57 has an angled face to which the device 41 is mounted so that the instrument hand-pieces 51 are readily accessible to the dentist for use. The bracket 57 has a downwardly depending flange 63 on which is mounted an L-clamp 65 as by screws 67. One leg 69 of L-clamp 65 carries a screw 71 extending parallel to the leg 73 of the clamp 65 but spaced therefrom. The screw 71 carries a retainer plate 75 which. is threaded thereto. The leg 65, screw 71 and plate 75 provide means for clamping the bracket 57 to the tray arm 9, as clearly appears in FIG. 4. It will be appreciated that mounted on the auxiliary cabinet unit 5.

any conventional means for clamping the bracket 57 to the tray arm 9 may be employed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The control means 77, shown in box form in the drawing and provided for control of the sources of pneumatic and hydraulic fluid employed with the hoses 19, is shown Such means 77 may also be employed to control the sources of fluid used with the instruments (not shown) mounted on the primary dental unit 7.

In operation and with the parts located as appears in FIG. 1, the dentist may move one of the instrument handpieces 51 from its seat against the plate 43 of the manifold device 41 and then pull the hose against the bias of the pulley wheel 29 through the manifold device 41 and through the aperture 17 of the plate 15 thereby moving the pulley wheel 29 and bar 27 upwardly along the rod 23 from the position shown in FIG. 3. If the dentist wishes to maintain the hose in such extended position, he need only crimp a portion of the hose 19 in the key slot 53 of the manifold device 41. If the dentist is interrupted in the use of the instrument 51 while in the extended use position, he may clip it to the clip device 55 carried by the bracket 57 which will hold the hose against the bias of the pulley wheel 29. The portion of the hose between the plate 15 of the offset portion 13 of the unit 5 and the hose inlet aperture of the bottom plate 45 of the device 41 does not dangle therebetween because the weight of the pulley 29 tends to urge or bias the hose into the chamber 22 of the unit 5. Thus, the dentist may move the tray arm 9 into and from any position in the plane of movement of the arm 9 without fear of dangling of the hose portion between the cabinet 5 and tray arm 9.

Upon completion of use of the instrument 51, the dentist removes the portion of the hose from the key slot 53, if the hose portion is seated in the key slot, and permits the weight of the pulley 29 to return the instrument 51 to its seat against the plate 43 whereby the bar 27 and pulley 29 return the hose to the position shown in FIG. 1. The tray arm 9 may then be moved from the position in which the tray 11 is used by the dentist in operating on a patient. During such movement, the weight of the pulley 29 will draw the hose into the chamber 22 as the distance between the tray arm 9 and unit 5 decreases and thereby avoid the problem of dangling of the hose which would otherwise occur if the pulley wheel biasing means were not employed and the tray was moved from a patienttreating position to a non-treating position.

Although various modifications and alterations of the present invention will be readily apparent to those versed in the art, it should be understood that what is desired to be embodied within the scope of the patent warranted hereon, are all such embodiments as reasonably and properly fall within the scope of the contribution to the art hereby made.

I claim:

1. In dental apparatus including, a primary equipment stand located outside of the patient treatment area, an elongated pivot arm carried for movement by said equipment stand and carrying an instrument tray at its outer end in spaced relation to said primary equipment stand, said arm being movable to move said tray between a first position in said patient treatmentarea and a second position remote from said patient treatment area, an auxiliary equipment stand spaced from said primary equipment stand, from said first and second positions, and from said patient treatment area, said auxiliary equipment stand carrying at least one elongated, movable and flexible hose or cord member for carrying a dental instrument at one end thereof, the improvement comprising an instrument holder device detachably carried by said tray arm between said primary equipment stand and the inner end of said tray for movement with said tray arm between said first and second positions, said holder device holding said instrument end of said member whereby a portion of said member spans in free extension between said auxiliary equipment stand and the holder device when the tray arm is in and traversing between either of said first or second positions, and means carried by said auxiliary equipment stand for biasing said spanning portion of said member away from said holder device whereby said biasing means maintains said spanning portion of said member in a substantially taut condition between said auxiliary equipment stand and the holder device in any position of said tray between said first and second positions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said instrument holder device has a bore through which said member slidably extends with the instrument carrying end thereof extending exteriorly of the device, and means for preventing removal of said member from said bore by said biasing means.

3. In dental apparatus including, an equipment stand located outside of the patient treatment area, said stand having an arm carrying an instrument tray at its outer end in spaced relation to said equipment stand, said arm being pivotal to move said tray between a first position in said patient treatment area and a second position remote from said patient treatment area, means including at least one elongated movable flexible hose or cord member carrying an instrument at one end thereof, an instrument holder device detachably carried by said tray arm for movement with said tray arm between said first and second positions, said instrument holder moveably holding the instrument end of the member, and means located remote from said equipment stand for biasing said member away from said patient treatment area, whereby that portion of said member spanning between said biasing means and said holder device is maintained in a substantially taut condition between the biasing means and the instrument holder device in any location of said tray between said first and second positions.

4. In dental apparatus including, an equipment stand located outside of the patient treatment area and having an elongated arm carrying an instrument tray at its outer end in spaced relation to said equipment stand, said arm being pivotal to move said tray between a first position in said patient treatment area and a second position remote from said patient treatment area, and means including at least one elongated movable flexible hose or cord member carrying an instument at one end thereof, the improvement including a detachable instrument holder device carried by said tray arm between said equipment stand and said tray for movement with said tray arm between said first and second positions, said holder device defining at least one passageway through which said member movably extends with the instrument carrying end thereof positioned on the side of said holder device adjacent said patient treatment area, and means located remote from said equipment stand for biasing said member away from said patient treatment area whereby that portion of said member spanning between said biasing device and said holder device is maintained in a substantially taut condition between the biasing means and the holder device in any location of said tray between said first and second positions.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,660 10/1927 Pieper 3222 1,694,669 12/1928 Pieper 3222 2,227,566 1/1941 Angell 3222 X RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. MORGAN, Examiner. 

1. IN DENTAL APPARATUS INCLUDING, A PRIMARY EQUIPMENT STAND LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE PATIENT TREATMENT AREA, AN ELONGATED PIVOT ARM CARRIED FOR MOVEMENT BY SAID EQUIPMENT STAND AND CARRYING AN INSTRUMENT TRAY AT ITS OUTER END IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID PRIMARY EQUIPMENT STAND, SAID ARM BEING MOVABLE TO MOVE SAID TRAY BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN SAID PATIENT TREATMENT AREA AND A SECOND POSITION REMOTE FROM SAID PATIENT TREATMENT AREA, AN AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT STAND SPACED FROM SAID PRIMARY EQUIPMENT STAND, FROM SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, AND FROM SAID PATIENT TREATMENT AREA, SAID AUXILIARY EQUIPMENT STAND CARRYING AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED, MOVABLE AND FLEXIBLE HOSE OR CORD MEMBER FOR CARRYING A DENTAL INSTRUMENT AT ONE END THEREOF, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN INSTRUMENT HOLDER DEVICE DETACHABLY CARRIED BY SAID TRAY ARM BETWEEN SAID PRIMARY EQUIPMENT STAND AND THE INNER END OF SAID TRAY FOR MOVEMENT WITH SAID TRAY ARM BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND POSITIONS, SAID HOLDER DEVICE HOLDING SAID INSTRUMENT END OF SAID MEMBER WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID 